Helen Howes Sewing Machines

Sunday, 25 August 2019

...through the Big Move Sort-out, and this week I have taken a whole lot of tool-boxes and extension tables, all online and updated (click on the links) - those of you who are subscribed to my Newsletter (click for the page to sign up) get a Special Deal on these...
And I sold a machine today, and one yesterday, and need to sell one each day until the Sculpture Trail is over on the 8th of September, all the machines in the shop have Clearance prices; at least 20-30% off
Still a few left - I don't want to have to scrap any of these due to lack of storage, so now is a Really Good Time to visit
I'm open every day until the 8th, 11 till 5ish each day. And the cafe is open, as is the Trail, so it's all good fun

Saturday, 17 August 2019

Oh, look, boxes of wires, pedals, and plugs... Probably about half of what I started with. I do wish people would keep their machines at least Dry...

Now, if you are on the Newsletter List (sign up HERE) you will know that life has bitten both of us in the proverbial bum somewhat. John has been forced to hand over his little part of the HHSewingMachines empire to my tender care, and retire forthwith because his health has fallen over. And, while I can do the electrical stuff, I am not the expert that he is, and the piles have somewhat developed breeding tendencies... I'm desperately trying to sort and resort everything, because, at the end of October, I have to move it all home in some kind of tidy order and hand over the workshop to my good friend AitchBee

Here's a box of motors, being waiting to be photographed and numbered.. I did cull a lot of scruffy herberts before I started... I have actually made images for everything, and the page HERE will be updated tonight or tomorrow. Then the pedals will get the same treatment. And all will be cheap, most untested, quantity boxes available, and on-your-own-head-be-it...And I've been fettling and fixing and servicing and preparing all the usable machines to go in the shop, and all have "clearance" prices for personal customers...
The pretty 128 above has lovely clean decals and a nice domed box.. Still practical after all these years, it comes with needles, tools, bobbins, manual, and all and all...
And the 99s have been breeding madly. I have older, younger, hand-crank and electric ones all ready to go
And 66s, 201s, and assorted lovelies beside

Tuesday, 4 June 2019

We've had a Bad Fortnight. John was taken ill quite suddenly, and has had gut failure, major surgery for the third time in five years, and two very long weeks in hospital. He's home, and gently recuperating, but this has decided him very firmly that he will not be spending his time polishing cases and rewiring pedals, as neither are amusing (and the polishing is just not on with a belly wound 12 inches long). Retirement looms...

Not, for me, I hasten to add...

So, the motors and pedals and lights we have that are ready or good-enough will be sold, then I will return to my original business plan, to be a specialist in parts, attachments, and all manner of stuff for the older hand-crank and treadle machines. I will be clearing some of the less-attractive machines from my waiting-to-fix-it pile and sorting some of the more electric ones for Freecycle..

If you can use motors, pedals, and the like for your own refurbishing, please get in touch - I will be sending out small batches at astoundingly reasonable cost.

And the ones like this can be merrily throw away...

And I'm still looking for an apprentice.. Want to learn some of this stuff? Talk to me, please

Wednesday, 6 March 2019

New quilts and patterns galore, as we have been busy, busy (that is, Me and AitchBee) in preparation for the Scottish Quilt Show. Stand all set up today, and my usual Old Girl ready to demo tomorrow
And, with a bit of luck, she won't come home with me, as she is all ready to go to a new home
£120...

Wednesday, 20 February 2019

(Edited to Add, all gone now, many thanks for asking. Bookmark here for further clearouts)

John has been Sorting-with-a-capital-S the motors and pedals. They appear to have been breeding in the dark, do not remember taking all these in..
So, here we have an interesting row
Free for postage, UK only please. Usable, complete, need wiring-up
(Edit - 2 have gone already. john @raindropkites.co.uk to request)

Now, I've been busy too. There was a most humungously messy pile of little toolboxes and extension tables under the Big Table, and someone wanted a particular one, so I had to pull these all out, sort, count, remake the page.. 2 days worth, but worthwhile, as there is nothing more difficult to use than a machine with its table missing. Sadly, we could not match the lacking machine. I'll keep looking. I do run a huge "Wants" list
In the process I threw away all the scruffy, oily, disgusting card boxes, washed all the plastic ones, and found all sorts of treasures. Here's the table at about the half-way stage, and HERE is the remade page of boxes
Tables HERE
And this little charmer came with a Frister Rossmann
Note "bodkins" - and who would have thought that Timothy Whites ( a chain chemist) would have sold matches...